O'Connor Music Studio Blog

Daily Listening Assignments

This summer, I’ve decided to add a new feature to piano lessons. I know that many families travel during the summer months and it’s sometimes difficult to practice.

These daily assignments, June through August will help you and your students learn a bit more about the pieces they’re learning during the year – or maybe give ideas for something that they’d like to learn.

Each piece has a bit of composer info and several different interpretations, some of which are very humorous. Some of the assignments appear in Piano Maestro so be sure to have that handy, if your student uses that.

Some days give hints that the assignment of the day may be played (or reviewed) at the next lesson so please be sure that your student takes note of that (no pun intended!)

Calendar

The O'Connor Music Studio features fully functional parent/student portals. These are a great way to share information with you, save time, and add value to your lessons. The student portal provides you with...

I have ordered this book and CD combo for the music studio so parents can check it out to see if it would be useful for them to buy for home use. If any of the studio parents have this book already, please let me know what you think. Thanks! My copy came today and it looks fantastic. I am considering ordering some for the studio for parents. The list price i […]

O’Connor Music Studio provides Fairfax-area piano students with high-quality instruction tailored to suit individual needs and learning styles. The dedicated instructor brings over 40 years of teaching experience to every lesson.

With this concert-worthy duet setting of "Happy Birthday to You," pianists will delight audiences with inventive variations of the familiar tune. Some sections are driving and rhythmic, while others are inspired by Classical and Romantic styles. Powerful chords and brilliant octave passages create thrilling musical moments. Audiences will enjoy a n […]

From Day 4, Daily Listening Assignment ~ June 4. In 1778 at the age of twenty-two, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed a set of twelve variations on the theme “Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman” (better known to us as the nursery rhyme “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”) for the piano.

Facts and trivia abound in this gentle expose of music history. From Bach's laundry lists to Handel's unexpected success in Italy, this provides a lively, involving format which treats musicians as human beings and which reads almost like an action novel in exploring their lives and approaches to music and its marketing.

There is no better way to introduce children to classical music than with Prokofiev’s musical fairy tale of the little boy (played by all the strings of the orchestra) who, with the help of a bird (played by the flute), outsmarted the big, bad wolf (played by the French horns). And now with this book and CD package, children can look and listen all at the sa […]

I have always respected Dr. Hinson's work and his music. We have several of his books at the O'Connor Music Studio and many are available for loan. If you are interested in buying any for yourself, amazon.com has a great selection.

Intermediate students are ready to explore the challenges of one-octave scales and arpeggios. More than a simple reference to scale fingerings and key signatures, this book presents valuable patterns that engage the ear and give musical meaning to scale degrees. By transposing these patterns and common chord progressions, students gain deep understanding in […]

Playing 5-finger scales has significant value for early-level pianists. This innovative book helps students chart progress through all major and minor 5-finger scales, cross-hand arpeggios, and primary chords. Engaging teacher duets for each key are used for scale exercises. Students also enjoy improvisation activities for each key with creative prompts to i […]

Looking for a fun and interesting way to get beginner pianists excited about music? Want a unique way to present music theory, sight reading, and writing notes? Wish it was all in one spot? Introducing Piano Cards: Level 1, a premium flashcard deck that helps students understand music and retain what they've learned. Our 28 progressive test cards build […]

Do you need help getting your kids to the keyboard? 101 Piano Practice Tips is an upbeat book full of practical tips to help your kids actually WANT to practice the piano. If you have elementary age children, you’ll appreciate categories such as “Creating a Great Environment” and “How to Encourage Good Quality Practice.” If you’re the parent of a teenager, y […]

Just what the titles says: 60 one-page quizzes on a variety of subjects related to beginning music theory and reading. Includes sections on "The Basics," "Rhythm," "Note Names," "Key Signatures," "Musical Symbols and Terms," "Time Signatures," "Keyboard Identification," and "Musical P […]

Tap dancing legends Fayard (b. 1914) and Harold (1918-2000) Nicholas amazed crowds with their performances in musicals and films from the 30s to the 80s. They performed with Gene Kelly in The Pirate, with Cab Calloway in Stormy Weather, with Dorothy Dandridge (Harold's wife) in Sun Valley Serenade, and with a number of other stars on the stage and on th […]

Carl Czerny, a student of Ludwig van Beethoven, who then taught Franz Liszt, combined his ability to analyze technique with his years of teaching experience to create exercises that increase the technical ability of the piano student. In this 80-page edition, his pieces systematically introduce notes of various time-values and other musical principles in sim […]

Self-expression knows no bounds with C920. Piano lessons on Skype or FaceTime in full HD 1080p or record vibrant true-to-life full HD 1080p video blogs. You can share, play your lessons live or record and share in high-definition 720p. Dual microphones ensure natural stereo sound, while a five-element glass lens and a precisely tuned autofocus allow you to b […]

Not content with having hilariously skewered the lives of great composers in Bach, Beethoven and the Boys, in If It Ain't Baroque musical humorist David W. Barber takes aim at their works as well. From symphonies to solo songs, from motets to madrigals to masses, Barber wittily yet informatively tells readers everything they need to know (and more!) abo […]